A cobpobation



.w. s; DIETRICH Sept SAWING APPAR ATUS AND METHOD Original Filed July 241926 3 sheets-sheet 1 I N VEN TOR.

, BY c9 M 9 4% v ATTORN g w. s. DIETRICH SAVWIVNG APPARATUS AND METHODSept. 2711927. Re. 16,747

Original Filed July 24, 192 :5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y W. S. DIETRICH QP 1927' SAWING APPARATUS AND mmnon OriginalTiled my 24, 1926 5 Sheets-SheetS in n: 1 5

I N V ENTOR. CJl 22mm J. fiieirzk/z @90 M 7 @94 ATTORNEYS Reissued Sept.27, 1927.

a Re. 16,747

UNITED STATES? PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM s. 'DIETR'ICH, or GREnnvILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSEGNOB 'm THEGREEN-4 VILLE STEEL CAR COMPANY, or GREENVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA,A'CORPORATION' OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SAWIMNG 1 APPARATUS AND METHOD.

' Original application filed July 24, 1926, Seria1 No.- 124,616.Dividdiandapplication filedOcto ber 30,

1926, Serial No. 145,351. J'u1y 23, 1927. SerialNo. 208,606

This invention as indicated relates to a sawing apparatus and method,and is'a division ofmy app1ication, Serial N0. 12 L616, filed July 24;,l926,"(Patent No. 1,605,816).

5 More particularly it comprises a method of reducing structuresof-metalplate, wood or composition, or the combination thereof, to

1 sections of predetermined size, and an'apparatus especially adaptedfor. cutting such structures to suchsizes. It is particularlyadapted forreducing to scrap obsolete metal car bodies and the like. Certainfeatures of the invention, as will be noted, are of general applicationaudit is not intended to 15 limit such features to the particularconstructions shown I and described, -This method makes use of thesupporting and bracing members of the car bodyto hold the part-soperated upon rigid as the. top and peripheral sections are firstsevered and I thereafter intermediatesectionsand the bottom, sectionsare severed in turn. I

Heretoforeit has been the ractice in reducing obsolete metal railroadcar bodies to suitable scrap size to have the operations carried on by.a large crew of workmen equipped with suitable cutting devices such asacetylene torches and power drills and compressed air rivet cuttersandknockout devices. Such operations require large crews and extensiveworking space. The time consumed in such operations has been found inmany instances to be excessive and the expensesof producing sc ap metalhave I been greater than the value of the material so reduced.

The principal object of'the present 'invention is to obviate thedisadvantages referred to and toprovide a method and an apparatus whichwill be extremely economical .in operation and which; will permit thereduction of such article to predetermined size,

with a minimum of effort and expense. An;

other object-of the invention is to provide an, apparatusparticularly'adapted to reduce metal railroad car bodies; particularlythose of the gondola type to scr p o ch gin'g'b x size'with' theelimination ofreha ndlin'g op erations; Anotherobjeet'ot the inventionis to'provide amethod which maybe carried outjby an apparatus whichmaybe transported to suc localities as are used for t 1 Original N-o.1,63 1Q927, datcd-June'7, 1927. Application for reissue filed 'of largeexpense for transportation ofsuch. material b reason of its highlyconcentrated form. Oter and further objects of the invention will appearin the course of the fol lowing description. To the accomplishment ofthe foregolng and related ends, said in vention, then consists of. themeans hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in. detailcertain means I and one mode of carrying out the invention, suchd1sclosed'means and mode lllustrating,

however, but one of various ways in which the princ ple of thelnventlonjmay be used.

In said annexeddrawings: 7 v Fig. l 1s a side elevationshowing anapparatus constructed in accordance with the "principles of my inventionwith a gondola 'ra'ilwa'y car shown in dotted lines within the same;Fig. 2 is a top plan view ofthe apparatus shown in Flg. 1; Fig. 3 is anend elevation of the apparatus shown in Figsl and 2; Fig. 4 is an endview of an apparatus similar to Fig. 3, but showing in additiontheapparatus for loading scrap cars; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig.bllt showing a modified form of loading device; and Fig.

6 is a perspective .view of from body sliowing the method of separatingthe same into plates of charging box size.

V As is clearly shown in the drawing, theapparatus com rises asuper-Structure 1 comprising stan ards 2, mounted on suitable pedestals3 and braced .by inclined members 4; supported upon additionalpedestalsjti. At the'upper ends of said standards, longitudinallyextendin'g'track-ways 6 are pro;

vided upon which overheadand inside sawf ing units, presently tov bedescribed, are

adaptedto be movably supported." Transverse frame members .7 maybeprovided ad pjac'ient the ends of'sa-id'traek-ways. 4 J

Other track ways8, 9 forla-teral andfend sawingunits areprovidedpa'rallel to said longitudinaltrack-ways, but on a plane at; apoint approximately even 'with the heads v of jthe supporting'fedes'tals Such track ways may be direct. 37' supported from thesupported thereon. A central track-way '11 of standard railroad gauge isprovided in order that a railroad car 12 of the type referred to may bemoved Within the appara:

tus. The two outer track-ways are of broader gauge and are adapted tomovably support the lateral sawing units.

The apparatus may be operated at the ground level, but it has been founddesirable to have the sawing units and the object operated upon at anelevated position so as to provide for the automatic disposal of thesevered sections without rehandling. This is accomplished by means of ascrap plate distributing apparatus, which may be of any desiredconstruction, but it has been found that by hinging a pair oflongitudinally extending plates 13, 14;, beneath the object operatedupon with a hinged support 15 for said plates positioned centrally at anelevated position and the outer ends of said plates projecting to apoint above scrap cars 16, as is shown in Fig. 4:, that no intermediatehandling operations are necessary, as the plates, as soon as severedfrom the car body, will be carried by gravity into the scrap cars. Thescrap cars, as shown, are mounted on standard gauge track-ways outsideof the pedestals.

In the form of construction shown in Fig. 5, a large metal hopper 17 isprovided beneath the elevated platform and a scrap car 18 on a standardgauge track between the pedestals is adapted to be moved beneath theopen end of said hopper for the reception of the scrap plates as theyare severed. The

individual sawing units, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of thedrawing, are of two forms of construction. In one form, adapted to beused as a. side sawing apparatus, the saws are carried on armsprojecting laterally from said units, while in the other form ofconstruction the saws are carried on arms depending vertically fromsaidunits.

Inthe first form'of units, alongitudinally traveling, carriage 21 isprovided upon which a. transversely traveling carriage 22 is mounted. Avertical frame work 23 is secured .to said transversely travelingcarriage and embodies in its construction a worm 24 mounted within thesame and engaging a associated mechanism to be made with'a.

minimum of effort, Alaterally extending arm29 is connected with themotor supporting frame, said arm forming a housing for the motor driveshaft 31. At the outer end of said housing, a swiveling head orrotatable gear housing 32 is mounted within which'the saw mandrel 33 isrotatably supported. Beveled gears 3 1, 35, on the respective ends ofthe drive shaft and the saw mandrel provide for the transmission ofpower, and permit the free movement of said swiveling head.

At the end of the saw mandrel, a large friction saw 36 of the high speedtype, is"

supported. The saw may be turned to any position about said supportingarm, inasmuch as the drive is through beveled gears as stated. The sawordinarily is intended to out only in two positions, vertically andhorizontally, and a locking device 37 is provided whereby the rotatinggear housing may be firmly secured to the lateral extending arm in eachof said two positions.

Thesawing unit 41 supported upon the longitudinal beams for overhead orinside sawing, comprises a longitudinally travelling carriage 4L2 uponwhich a transversely travelling carriage 43 is mounted which supports aframe 44 identical with the framework heretofore described, forming apart of the side sawing units. In place, however, of alaterallyextending arm, a downwardly extending arm 45 is provided, saidarni forming a housing for the drive shaft 46 from the saw driving motor47. At the end. of said drive shaft, a swivellin head or a rotatablegear housing 48 similar to that heretofore described, is mounted. saidgear housing carrying a saw mandrel 49 upfiu the end of which a frictionsaw 51 is supported. Bevelled gears, 52, 53, connectsaid mandrel withsaid drive shaft, and locking means 54 is provided for holding said sawin either a transverse or longltudinal plane.

The overhead or inside sawing unit is likegondola type, it has beenfound desirable to provide two side sawing units on each side of theapparatus and two overhead or inside sawing units. Such, arrangementpermits ample room for the operators of the units and reduces the timeof operation one-half for each pair of such units.

The preferred method of operation in reducing a gondola car to scrapplates, preferably of charging box size, is diagrammatically indicatedin Fig. 6 and comprises ,.making vertical cuts adjacent one end and thecenter of each side at approximately the operations, in many instances,

same time by means of'iespective side units,

and at the ends by the respective end sawing units, and then a series ofsuch cuts progressively. The vertical'cuts' are pref-' erably made firstfor half the depth of the gondola. car'and at suit-able spaced intervalsto provide plates of standard charging box Width. When theverticahcutsfhave beefimade from the top edge of the car to a positionapproximately midway thereof, the side sawsare turned atri' ght angles,from a ver tical to a horizontal position, and the horizontal cuts. arethen made through the sides and ends at a distance to provide plates ofstandard charging box'lengths, the plates being dropped inrapidsuccessionas they are severed from the car into the hoppers or thedistributing means disclosed in Figs. 4 and 5 and moving thence bygravity into the scrap cars. lVorkmen may be stationed at suitablepoints to' assist in the distribution of the scrap a'ndloading of thecars.

to'the lower half of tions. are moved in ontheir respective track-waysso as to position said saws adjacent the ends of the car body when saidside units make the horizontal cuts across the respective ends.

The o'verheadand inside sawing units are then moved transversely andlongitudinally,

as soon as the sides and'ends are removed,

', to sever the marginal portions and'then the central portion of thebottom of the car body into plates of suitable size. The marginal ortransverse cuts in thehbottommay also be made by the side sawing unitsifdesired.

After the car bodies have been reduced to scrap, the supporting frameand running gear may be dismantled or such parts may be moved to anotherposition and salvaged as may seen proper.

The reduction of car bodies to scrapplates,

' as has been stated, has been an operation conducted in many instancesat a loss because of the heavy costs for labor and the extended spacerequired for carrying on such operations. By the use of an apparatuswhich reduces a car body to scrap within a space of approximatelyminutes and with a crew of not over six operators, such may be carriedon at a profit.

The provision of swiveling heads for supporting the saws makes itpossible to operate with fewer units and requires less space. Thecarriages as stated may be moved longitudinally and transversely by anydesired mechanical means but are preferably driven by electric motors.They may be solidly anchored at such positions by suitable clamping orbraking mechanism, such as track gripping clamps of well known con-After the upper portions of the side and end walls of the carsyhave beensevered, the process is re 'eated with respect d side and end por- Thetransversely moving carriages my invention may be employed instead ofthe .oneiex iain d, f change being made as regards the means afid'theste's herein disclosed, provided those stated yi any of the IEOllOyV'II'Igclaims :or their' eqnivalenthe em; ployed.

I therefore particiilarlygpoint out and distin ct lyclaim as myinvention:

1. An apparatusof the ens-ate described having in combination a trackwayabove which a unit of railway rolling stock tobe operated on may beretained in position principally by itsown weight, a dummy ex' tendingparallel to said first-named trackway, a high speed friction saw unitmovably mounted on said last-named tifackway,

and means for traversing said saw at right angles to said secondtrackway. I I I 2. An apparatusof the character described having incombination a trackway' above v which a unit of railwayrblling stock tobe" operated o'n'inay retainedin position prini cipally" by itsownweight, atrac'k 'way extending parallel to' said first-named trackway, ahigh speed frict-ionunit movably mounted on said last-named trachway,means for adjustingfsaid saw to operate, in difi'e'r ent cutting planes,means moving said saw along" said trackway, and means for traversingsaid saw at right-angles to trackway.

a An apparatus or the ehaiaaei described having c oinbination atrackv'v'ay abbve which a unrt of railway rolling stock to be operatedon may be retained in position principally by its own weight, a trackwayextending parallel to said first named trackway, a high speed frictionsaw unit movably mounted on said last-named trackway, and means fortraversing said saw at right angles Vertically and horizontally to saidsecond trackWa-y.

4. An apparatus of the character described having in combination atrackway above which a unit of railway rolling stock to be operated onmay be retained in position principally by its own weight, a trackwayextending parallel to said first-named trackwaiy, on either sidethereof, a high speed friction saw unit movably mounted. on each of saidlast-named trackways, and means for traversing said saw at right anglesto said second trackways.

5. An apparatus of the character described having in combination atrackway above which a unit of railway rolling stock, the body of whichis to be reduced to sections, may be retained in position principally byits own weight, a trackway extending parallel to said first namedtrackway, a cutting unit movably mounted on said lastnamed trackway,means for traversing said unit at right angles to said second trackway,and means beneath the horizontal plane of said firstnamed trackway forreceiving severed sections of said unit of rolling stock, and conveyingthem to a predetermined point.

6-. An apparatus of the character described having in combination atrackway above which a unit of railway rolling stock, the body of whichis to be reduced to sections, may be retained in position principally byits own weight, a'trackway ext-ending parallel to said first-namedtrackway, a cutting unit movably mounted on said last-named trackway,-means for traversing said. unit parallel to and at right angles to saidsecond trackway, and means beneath the horizontal plane of saidfirst-named trackway for receiving severed-sections of said unit ofrolling stock and conveying them to a predetermined point.

7 An apparatus of the character described having in combination .atrackway above which a unit of railway rolling stock, the body of whichis to be operated upon, may be retained in position principally by itsown weight, a trackway positioned in a horizontal plane above saidfirst-named trackway, a high speed friction saw unit movably mounted onsaid last-named trackway, means for traversing said saw at right anglesto said second trackway. V

8. An apparatus of the character described having in combination atrackway above which a unit of railway rolling stock, the body of whichis to be operated upon, may be retained in position principally by itsown weight, a t-rackway positioned in a horizontal plane .above saidfirst-named trackway, a high speed friction saw unit movably mounted onsaid last-named trackway, means for changing the angular position ofsaid saw to operate in different-cutting planes, and means fortraversing said saw parallel to and at right angles to said secondtrackway. I

9. In a method of reducing a large bulky section of railway rollingstock to sections of smaller size while supported and retained ii inposition principally by its own weight, the step of moving a high speedfriction saw thereagainst,and traversing said saw relative to said largebulky section to form a line of separation therein.

10. In a method of reducing a unit of railway rolling stock to sectionsW bile supported and retained in position, principally by its ownweight, the step of moving a high speed friction saw thereagainst, andtraversing said saw relative to said unit to form lines of separationtherein.

11. In a method of reducing a unit of railway rolling stock to sectionswhile supported and retained in position, principally by its own weight,the step of moving a high speed friction saw thereagainst in twodirections successivelyto sever plate-like sections therefrom. r

12. In a method of reducing. a unit of railway rolling stock to sectionswhile supported and retained inposition, principally by its own weight,the step of moving a high speed friction saw thereagainst in threedirections successively to sever plate-like sections therefrom. I'Signed by me this 27th day of June, 1927.

WILLIAM S. DIETRICH.

